97 escort hard to start when cold

I have a 97 escort with a 2.0 MT. when you try to start it cold it takes abouts 5 or 6 seconds to start. It dosent do this if you have driven in within the last hour or so. it has a new timing belt and plugs about 6000 miles ago.
any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

The first thing I think of is a bad fuel pressure regulator - not keepin the fuel system pressuried as it should. Check whether you have fuel pressure when the car has sat overnight. Mine is a 92, but I think all of them have a fuel pressure checking fitting. On mine it is a small Schrader valve on the line going into the fuel rail. If I open that valve, fuel squirts out, even after 48 hours of non-use.

Ditto on that... either the FPR or the filter is allowing fuel to flow backwards and lose the pressure in the lines.... OR the pump isn't providing pressure like it should. After the engine cranks for a little bit then it sucks the fuel back up through the lines and turns over.

Another diagnostic I just remembered: The fuel pump should run for almost 2 second each time the ignition is turned on, even if you dont start the engine. In a quiet location you should be able to hear the soft hum from the back of the car. Thats the pump inside the fuel tank, working to get pressure up in the fuel lines; for those cases where a car might have been sitting for a couple of weeks or longer. Its possible that function has gone bad (its controlled by the PCM, the computer getting power from the ignition switch. So try turning the ignition 'on' (but not starting the engine) and see if you hear the hum.
If you do hear the hum, you can turn the key off-and-back-on-again a couple of times, hearing the hum each time. At this point the fuel rail should have full pressure in it, and the car should start promptly when you turn the ign key to the -start- position. This is what a mechanic does after any job that involves having the fuel system apart.

thanks guys thats what i was leaning towards. the vacuum line on the regulator is in pretty bad shape so maybe its leaking. i think the fuel pump is probably on its way it too ill check it and let you guys know. thanks